Skip to main content

tv   CNN Newsroom  CNN  January 7, 2013 1:00am-2:00am PST

1:00 am
♪ good night moon good night stars good night air good night noises everywhere ♪ ♪ well there's a lockett in a pocket and horton is a who ♪ ♪ a very hungry caterpillar is on the loose ♪ ♪ butterfly in the sky i can go twice as high ♪ ♪ take a look it's in a book reading rainbow ♪ ♪ reading rainbow ♪ reading rainbow ♪ >> the great jimmy fallon. jimmy? >> thank you so much.
1:01 am
the great jimmy fallon. thank you so much. >> that's it for us tonight. it's been an extraordinary year. thank you for watching. hello, i'm debra feyerick in for don lennon, let's get you up to speed on the day's headlines. the secretary of state hillary clinton is returning to work tomorrow morning. it will be his first day back since she was sidelined by a stomach virus followed by a concussion and blood clot in her brain. she was released wednesday from a new york hospital. according to her schedule clinton will meet with her assistant secretary tomorrow morning. that meeting is her only public event of the day. president obama plans to nominate former nebraska senator chuck hagel as the next secretary of defense. reaction is already pouring in, some positive, some not. we'll have much more on the story in a moment. pakistani intelligence officials say a suspected u.s. drone strike killed 17 people today. today's attack follows two suspected u.s. drone strikes last week that killed 15 people,
1:02 am
including a taliban commander with ties to the pakistani military. demonstrators protested against drone strikes thursday and burned a u.s. flag. parents in new york are on edge tonight waiting to hear if their children will have to find other ways to get to school tomorrow morning. the union representing the city's school bus drivers is threatening to strike in a dispute over job protection. they're concerned about a new bus contract that could mean some drivers would lose their jobs. if there is a walkout the city will provide some bus riders with free metro cards to ride public transit. in other cases, parents can apply for public transit refunds if they send their children to school by taxi. league officials and the player's association struck a tentative agreement today that would end the three-month lockout. if players and owners approve,
1:03 am
the nhl could play a 48-game schedule and then the stanley cup playoffs. the two top college football teams meet tomorrow night for the bcs national championship. you couldn't script two bigger names. undefeated notre dame will take on alabama in miami. the crimson tide is going for its third national title in the past four years. notre dame is trying to win its first since 1988. let's turn to washington now. word from administration officials that president obama plans to nominate chuck hagel as his next defense secretary. it's getting lukewarm reception from some of hagel's fellow republicans. they don't like some of his past statements on israel and iraq and afghanistan. here's ted cruz of texas. >> if hagel is nominated, it's very difficult to imagine the circumstance in which i could support his confirmation. >> it's not just cruz, lindsey graham says hagel's views on
1:04 am
the middle east, especially towards israel, causes him a lot of concern. >> chuck hagel would be the most antagonistic secretary of defense toward the state of israel in our nation's history. not only has he said you should directly negotiate with iran, sanctions won't work, israel must negotiate with hamas, an organization terrorist group that lobs thousands of rockets into israel. he was one of 12 senators who refused to sign a letter to the european union trying to designate hezbollah as a terrorist organization. he has long severed his ties with the republican party. this is an in-your-face nomination by the president. >> last week the pro gay rights group log cabin republicans took out this ad in the "new york times." the head of the group told don lemon why his organization thinks hagel is the wrong man for the pentagon's top job. >> this is a guy, a sec def,
1:05 am
who's going to be in charge of ensuring implement take of open service takes place. he has a negative record on that, and i'm not just talking about one comment he made toward a former nominee, ambassador hormel. when it comes to iran, very weak. left of president obama when it comes to economic sanctions or imposing sanctions on tehran to prevent proliferation of nuclear weapons. and finally, our bilateral relationship with israel, not strong on that. regardless of where you lie, pick your poison. it's a perfect storm for why he should not be sec def. to use an army colloquialism, he is a no go. >> he's independent, has wonderful fresh ideas to try to reengage the discussion about
1:06 am
the middle east. i've known him before he went for senate no omaha, nebraska in 1986. he was interested before he ran for the senate to learn more from me. i grew up in israel, was born there. it was an amazing relationship, it started and developed in the last 20 years. and i think that i support him wholeheartedly. coming up at the half hour, more on the man president obama is expected to nominate as his next secretary of defense, from serving in vietnam to a career on capitol hill. a look at the life and career of chuck hagel. president obama has more spots to fill in his cabinet, treasury secretary tim geithner is expected to leave sometime around the nomination. the front-runner to replace geithner is reportedly chief of staff, jacob lew. there's a vacancy at the cia since general david petraeus stepped down.
1:07 am
a source tells cnn a short list includes counterterrorism and homeland security adviser john brennan as well as acting cia drkter, michael morel, the man wearing the red tie in the video. the attorney for one of the two ohio teenagers charged with rape wants a judge to postpone and move his client's trial. the 16-year-old high school football players are charged with sexually assaulting a girl last summer. the alleged attack took place at several parties over the course of the night. adam neiman, the lawyer for defendant trent mays, told cnn he wants the case moved out of steubenville. >> given its publicity and what we perceive as threats to individuals, perhaps witnesses and also defendants and defense council, we're concerned about safety issues at this point. secondly i'm concerned about whether or not the case should be tried in this area. perhaps the fact that it is in
1:08 am
the steubenville area is going to prohibit certain people from wanting to come forward and testify. >> malik richmond's lawyer said his client would file similar motions. last night i talked to him about some of the evidence that's turned up on social media. >> the photo is making its way around the internet. the problem is, the photo exists at all. if it weren't for the evidence, the tweets, the postings and the various social media, this case wouldn't be getting the attention that it's gotten so far. does your client admit to having sex with the alleged victim? >> in this case, those particular facts we have to allow the court to examine and -- so that they can be fully vetted. one of the things that really troubles all parties here is that we're all looking for justice. that's what this system is designed to do. the fact that the ultimate question of whether or not there was sex, in this state there are
1:09 am
multiple ways other than a traditional concept of sex, that one may be accused of rape. so there could be digital penetration, oral penetration or that with an object. i'm not specifying what is the allegation or which is the method for the state at this point. what i'm saying is that there are more than one way that a person may assume constitutes rape, and more than one of those ways may be at issue in this particular case. >> correct, sir, and i understand that. but the prosecutors are charging your client with sexual assault of this young lady, who they say was either too drunk to know or had, by that point, passed out and didn't know what was going on. so sort of technicalities aside, the question is, has your client admitted to being there and admitted to being with this young woman on that night? >> well, subsequent to the photograph, there's evidence that she was conscious and she was capable of making decisions
1:10 am
and speaking and exhibiting decisionmaking activities. so, again, the photo is out of context. and those are the things we must wait to see. all we've done in this case is had a hearing on the issue of probable cause. >> lawyers for both defendants have said their clients are not guilty of the charges. finally, some relief is heading to the victims of superstorm sandy. we'll have much more, much, much more is needed. and living in fear, trying to escape and suffering from more than just war. inside a camp for syrian refugees that is still in harm's way. [ male announcer ] break the grip of back or arthritis pain
1:11 am
1:12 am
with odor free aspercreme. powerful medicine relieves pain fast, with no odor. so all you notice is relief. aspercreme.
1:13 am
help is on the way for people who lost so much during superstorm sandy. president obama signed into law a 9.7 billion sandy relief package. it was the first legislative package of the new congress. lawmakers will consider a $51 billion relief bill on january 15th. some people were outraged that house speaker boehner cancelled a vote tuesday on the entire aid package. sandy devastated parts of the northeast more than two months ago. earlier i spoke with our political regulars, elsi granders granderson. elzi is a senior writer for espn, and anna is a republican strategist. we talked about the fiscal cliff and the strategizing that newt gingrich did this morning on "meet the press." he said the process has become a complete diversion from what's really important.
1:14 am
>> we're now going to spend 60 days or 90 days totally fixated on the media in the next big crisis. and the crisis will go down to the white house, and it will be secret meetings, and we'll produce 2,400 pages that no one will have read. >> he called it a distraction. newt gingrich criticizing the process. no one really seems happy with what happened or how it happened. is this how things are going to get done in washington these days, governing by crisis? let's start with you, ana. >> well, i agree with that part that he just said, this is absolutely not healthy governing. but, you know -- and i love newt gingrich, let me say that, he was in miami over the holidays, so he was having a little diversion himself. but i -- i suspect that when he was speaker he didn't like criticism of the type he's giving right now. he's a great ideas guy.
1:15 am
not all of them are great ideas. some of his criticisms are valid. we're not doing this in a healthy, wholesome constructive way. we seem to be going from crisis to crisis which is part of this destructive cycle. that being said, this is not a diversion, this was a real cliff, a real problem, i think john boehner deserves a lot of credit for having put so much into it. for having tried so hard to make a deal. for having herded his cats. it was not pretty, it was not making sausage, it was to the the straightest line between "a" and "b," but it got done. he deserves a lot of credit even from his predecessors. >> another thing that's troubled me about how it all played out. that was president obama's handling of negotiations. john boehner took a lot of criticism and as ana said, he was able to herd his cats, it was like making sausage. peggy noonan said mr. obama
1:16 am
couldn't make a deal like that, even when it would have made the president look good, the grand bargain. did mr. obama miss a critical opportunity to extend an olive branch to the republicans, specifically john boehner as a gesture of conciliation. what's missing is a picture of the president with the speaker. that doesn't even exist. and this was sort of a deal. >> i read peggy's peace, i think it's entitled "there's no i in kumbaya." it was an interesting title. i got sort of what she was trying to say, at the end of the day, she sounds as if she has sour grapes over the election. the fact of the matter is it's not about extending olive branches, it's about doing your job. i was really sick and tired of seeing both sides talk about how brave they were, and how courageous they were. no one else in america is as brave and courageous as these politicians for doing the basics of their job. this whole conversation we've
1:17 am
had in terms of not raising taxes on the middle class was something that was already resolved in the senate months ago. she wants to talk about parties not doing what they should have been doing, the senate voted for a bill to not allow the taxes to go up on the middle class back in the fall. the reason it went this long is because of boehner and his party and because of this distraction politics they have been doing, the obstructionists. >> very quickly, ana, do you think that, in fact, it would have gone a long way for the republicans, rather than taunt them at the press conference he had, basically said, we know how hard it was and thank you? conciliation, trust building? >> i think it would have gone a long way for president obama. listen, we're just at the beginning of this, we have four more long years. he's got a legacy he wants to build. he's going to have to work with republicans. and it works better when you try to invest in building
1:18 am
relationships. when you put some capital and some time and some resources and real resources in investing in building relationships in congress. that's what bill clinton did, and that's why he was able to get some things done. that's why i hope that president obama does in this second term. >> ana navarro, thank you. police stopped what could have been another school massacre, this one had homemade explosives. wait until you found out where the guy learned how to make them.
1:19 am
1:20 am
police in alabama may have prevented what could have been another school tragedy. this after a disturbing find at a teenager's house, dozens of
1:21 am
homemade explosives and a journal full of plans to carry out an attack. it began when a teacher near the georgia state line found the journal and called police. 17-year-old derek shroud is facing a felony charge of attempted assault. police discovered dozens of tobacco containers filled with shrapnel and holes drilled for fuses. police say shroud was one step away from turning them into live grenades. if not for the journal, the plot may have been discovered too late. >> the journal contains several plans that look like potential terrorist attacks and attacks of violence and danger on the school. and in particular, there were six students, specifically named and one teacher. >> needless to say, many classmates are shocked by the discovery.
1:22 am
>> it's crazy. i didn't think anything like that could happen at russell county. i thought that's something that happens everywhere else. maybe he has friends that want to do it, you never know. >> he could have got me in school for real, if he wanted to. he could have got the whole school. he could have gotten all of us if he really wanted. >> cnn affiliate, wtvm reports the earliest entries in the journal were written three days after the massacre in sandy hook, connecticut. police say shroud is a self-proclaimed white supremacist, and is believed to have learned to make the explosives through research on the internet. the man charged with last summer's colorado movie theater massacre goes to court tomorrow morning. 25-year-old james holmes will likely face some of the victims of the aurora shooting during the preliminary hearing. the former doctoral student faces 150 counts including first degree murder and attempted murder. casey wian revisits the crime scene.
1:23 am
>> aurora, colorado just after midnight july 20, 2012. >> 315 and 314 first shooting at century theaters. 14 300 east ail neme alameda av reports of someone shooting in the auditorium. >> he came down with his gun in my face. he was three feet away from me at that point. i didn't know what to do. i was terrified. >> we need rescue inside the auditorium. >> the guy is standing by the exit, just firing away. he's not aiming at a specific person, he's just aiming everywhere. >> i have a child victim, i need rescue at the back door, theater 9 now. >> i was just thinking, we have to get out. i just have to get out the doors. and if i had just fall dead, get my kids out of here, it was horrible. >> suspect is going to be male, unknown race, black camo outfit, believed to be wearing a vest, gas mask and multiple long guns. >> you have the right to remain silent.
1:24 am
>> reporter: that suspect, 25-year-old james holmes, is charged with killing 12 people and wounding dozens more. prosecutors are expected to call scores of witnesses before arapahoe county district judge william sylvester, he'll determine whether the evidence is sufficient for holmes to stand trial on more than 150 counts. including murder, attempted murder and weapons charges. weapons included explosives, allegedly used to booby trap holmes' apartment. his attorneys are expected to present a diminished capacity defense. >> the government is going to say that. the government is going to say this guy wasn't crazy. he was crazy like a fox. he was conni having, premeditat premeditated, methodical. that may all be true, at the same time, you could be all those things and have a mental disease or defect. >> he had been seeing a psychiatrist at the university of colorado where he was a doctoral candidate in neuroscience until dropping out
1:25 am
in june. his attorneys say that he was hospitalized in november after repeatedly banging his head into a jail wall. >> the preliminary hearing is expected to last several days. the judge has issued a sweeping gag order. this may be the first time the public hears much of the evidence against holmes. casey wian, cnn, los angeles. is there an atm near the vatican? there needs to be. we'll tell you why one of the world's top tourist attractions can't take plastic.
1:26 am
1:27 am
if you're going to the vatican, take cash. cash, that's right. all credit cards are temporarily useless there. right now tourists can't even charge it when buying religious
1:28 am
keepsakes or visiting the sistine chapel. the bank of italy yanked their credit card use. an independent report found that the vatican is still falling short of international standards to tackle money laundering and other final crimes. now to the big stories ahead, from the white house to wall street, our correspondents will tell you what you need to know. >> president obama plans to announce chuck hagel as his pick to replace leon panetta as secretary of defense on monday. we're on the lookout for more cabinet nominations that could come as early as this week for secretary of state, secretary of the treasury and cia director. investors are getting ready for the first full week of trading of 2013.
1:29 am
an le analysts surveyed by cnn money expect s&p 500 to climb about 5% this year. earnings season also kicks off this coming week, as always, aluminum giant alcoa is first reporting fourth quarter results on tuesday. keep an eye on the consumer electronics show this week. the annual event held in las vegas is where major products like the vcr, the x-box, and blu-ray discs were unveiled. >> i'm a.j. hammer, here's what we are watching this week. awards week kicks in high gear. people's choice awards being handed out on wednesday. academy award nominations will be announced on thursday, and we'll have your coast to coast coverage. >> thanks, everyone. it's back to work for the first time in a month for outgoing secretary of state hillary clinton. meanwhile, president clinton is
1:30 am
1:31 am
1:32 am
half past the hour now, let's take a look at the headlines. back to the office, secretary of state hillary clinton is returning to work tomorrow morning. it will be clinton's first day back since she was sidelined by a stomach virus, followed by a concussion, and blood clot in her brain. she was released wednesday from a new york hospital. according to her schedule, clinton will meet with her assistant secretaries tomorrow morning, that meeting will be her only public event of the day. a former vietnam veteran and u.s. senator will take the spotlight on monday. president obama plans to nominate former nebraska senator chuck hagel to be the next secretary of defense.
1:33 am
administration officials say the announcement is expected to tomorrow. a source familiar with the process tells cnn, the white house spent time today calling senators to try to build support for hagel's nomination. parents in new york are making backup plans tonight. waiting to hear if their children will have to find other ways to get to school in the morning. the union representing the city's school bus drivers is threatening to strike. they're concerned about a new contract that could mean drivers could lose their jobs. if there is a walkout, the city will provide some bus riders with free metro cards for public transit. in other cases, parents can apply for reimbursement if they drive their children to school or send them by taxi. help is on the way for superstorm sandy victims. president obama signed into law today a $9.7 billion sandy disaster relief package. some lawmakers were outraged after house speaker boehner cancelled a vote tuesday on what would have been a much larger aid bill. sandy devastated parts of the northeast two months ago,
1:34 am
lawmakers will consider the rest of the package, a $51 billion aid package january 15th. the college football season is down to its final game and it's a big one. in tomorrow night's bcs championship, undefeated notre dame will take on alabama in miami. the fighting irish are undefeated, the crimson tide have just one loss. let's get more now on the man we expect president obama to nominate as his next secretary of defense. former republican senator chuck hagel. he's known as someone who's not afraid to chart his own course around washington. a hab about the thit that somet with political risks. here's barbara starr. >> reporter: chuck hagel's view of the world today was changed when he served with his brother tom in vietnam. hagel recalled being burned in a land mine attack. >> the pain -- and we didn't have any medics there with us. we did have some guys that were in pretty bad shape. the morphine, everything was
1:35 am
used for them. >> the brothers saved each other's lives in combat. >> thinking to myself, if i ever get out of all this. i am going to do everything i can to assure that war is the last resort. that we -- a nation, a people calls upon to settle the dispute. the horror of it, the pain of it, the suffering of it. >> reporter: after coming home, hagel worked briefly as a newscastor. then had a career in business before entering public service as a senator from nebraska from 1997 to 2009. most recently he's taught at georgetown university while co-chairing the president's intelligence advisory board. what everyone who knows him well will tell you, chuck hagel has independent views on national security. it's caused him problems. to the dismay of fellow republicans, hagel opposed the troop surge in iraq, as did
1:36 am
president obama. but then opposed obama's surge in afghanistan. he has called for deep cuts in defense spending. reshaping spending, dealing with iran's nuclear programs and being ready for potential involvement in the war in syria are all top priorities this winter. that means the political buzz saws are out again. like hagel, william cohen was a republican senator before he was bill clinton's secretary of defense. >> i think he'll face the same challenge in terms of people on the democratic side saying, wait, we have some pretty talented people that are -- could step in at a moment's notice and fill that spot. and the republicans will say, why are you helping out a democratic administration? >> reporter: one key republican already is challenging hagel. >> i am concerned about many of
1:37 am
the comments that he made and has made, like reference to a jewish lobby, which i don't believe exists, i believe a pro-israel lobby exists. >> others insist hagel is not anti-israel. >> he belongs to a sort of tough minded -- in this case republican view of israel. that in fact accepts the reality that while the united states and israel are very close allies and will remain close allies their views on every issue cannot be expected to coincide. >> reporter: and critics in the gay and lesbian community have turned around their opposition to hagel. in 1998, hagel opposed james hormel an openly gay man to an ambassador's post. hagel now says my comments 14 years ago in 1998 were insensitive. they do not reflect my views. i apologize to ambassador hormel and lgbt americans who may question their commitment to their civil rights.
1:38 am
whatever chuck hagel's views were as a senator, if he does become secretary of defense, he'll have to fall in line with president obama's policies on everything from defense spending to what to do about iran's nuclear program. barbara starr, cnn, the pentagon. child's play is turned into something resembling survival tactics. with the daily threat of death from war and from the freezing cold. we take you inside one refugee camp where children are seeking safety below ground. getting there with the only tool they have, their hands. you know, i can save you 15% today if you open up a charge card account with us. >> you just read my mind. >> announcer: just one little piece of information and they can open bogus accounts, stealing your credit, your money and ruining your reputation. that's why you need lifelock to relentlessly protect what matters most... [beeping...] helping stop crooks before your identity is attacked. and now you can have the most comprehensive identity theft protection available today...
1:39 am
lifelock ultimate. so for protection you just can't get anywhere else, get lifelock ultimate. >> i didn't know how serious identity theft was until i lost my credit and eventually i lost my home. >> announcer: credit monitoring is not enough, because it tells you after the fact, sometimes as much as 30 days later. with lifelock, as soon as our network spots a threat to your identity, you'll get a proactive risk alert, protecting you before you become a victim. >> identity theft was a huge, huge problem for me and it's gone away because of lifelock. >> announcer: while no one can stop all identity theft, if criminals do steal your information, lifelock will help fix it, with our $1 million service guarantee. don't wait until you become the next victim. you have so much to protect and nothing to lose when you call lifelock now to get two full months of identity theft protection risk free. that's right, 60 days risk-free. use promo code: gethelp. if you're not completely satisfied, notify lifelock
1:40 am
and you won't pay a cent. orr now and also get this shredder to keep your documents out of the wrong hands-- a $29 dollar value, free. get protected now. call the number on your screen or go to lifelock.com to try lifelock protection risk free for a full 60 days. use promo code: gethelp. plus get this document shredder free-- but only if you act right now. call the number on your screen now!
1:41 am
in syria, a scathing speech today from president bashar al assad and more bloodshed throughout the country. a syrian opposition group says at least 101 people were killed today nationwide. activists say 28 died in damascus and its suburbs, and 22 in aleppo. as the bombs were falling and the bullets flying, the syrian president lashed out at rebels during his first public speech in seven months. assad was affectionately mobbed by a crowd of adoring supporters in the capital. he told his people and the world
1:42 am
that syria is not undergoing revolution and as long as terrorists are in the country they will not stand down. >> translator: this is a conflict between authority at power or between the enemies of the homeland. this is a conflict those who wanted to take revenge against the people to fragment syria. those are the enemies of the people and the enemies of god. and the enemies of god will go to hell. >> assad also laid out a plan to end the war starting with foreign countries ending their support for what he calls "terrorists." his speech drew immediate condemnation from leaders in the u.s. and britain. the dangers in syria go beyond the violence. it is winter there. nick payton walsh reports from one camp where adults and children fight every day for their lives.
1:43 am
>> reporter: they fled this far, almost to safety in turkey, but still they dig. to these boys, dragged fast into manhood, it's not a game, it's an air raid shelter. we make it so if the jets come and bomb us, he says, we put children here to hide them. of course we'll make it much bigger for 20 to 30 people. the holes are so they could see outside when the bombs come, although they've already seen so much. we were sitting suddenly and the rocket comes making this noise, he says. a big explosion an artillery shell. here in bab al salama, 8,000 of them fled everything they had, hoping to find something, but finding a new free syria could give them little. 100 yards from turkey, they're not allowed into its bustling camps.
1:44 am
of course 80% of those here came hoping to cross into turkey, but the turkish government stopped hosting over six weeks ago. people are furious, and we can't provide a lot of their daily needs. what was temporary in summer, is now looking permanent in frost. the distant shelling is a reason to endure even this. >> even though these people are just about 100 yards from the turkish border, they still had to bring what little plastic tent shelter they have undercover because of the intense cold approaching. you can still hear sometimes the shells in the distance reverberate inside the open concrete hangar, but the real enemy in the months ahead is going to be that bitter winter cold. for abdel's daughter, the cold came too fast. she wasn't sick, he says, she
1:45 am
didn't have any problems at all. we were out late that night and playing with her, we woke the next morning and her mother checked on her, she was cold. we buried her in the village. her sister is afraid of the cold. now he burns plastic to keep warm. wood is in short supply and expensive. in fact, they've stripped nature almost bare here. even these plants cut down for food. trash, plastic gathered hungerly. it's acrid poisonous smoke clutching a dense, wretched world. after 21 months of this war, this is the best the world has done for them. what is the most famous starship captain think of the new star trek series? william shatner shares with don lemon.
1:46 am
1:47 am
1:48 am
it's like the fabled home of the future. lori siegel shows us now how you can control your home with just the touch of a button. >> with the windchill, it's 10 below. prepare for landing. >> reporter: warm up your car with your smartphone. technology now possible and starting to take off. >> starting to see more products connect to the internet, and i think over time it's starting to create the home of the future, where everything talks to each
1:49 am
other and things happen automatically. it's like the jetsons vision. >> reporter: so, what does this home of the future look like? >> i have a button on my phone i can press, and when i press it right away -- >> spark is a company building a product that connects items in your home with your smart phone. >> our first product is a spark socket. it's a little device that screws into your light bulb socket, light bulb connects into the other end, it connects to the internet over wifi and lets you control your lights from smart phone, tablet, computer. >> reporter: the idea started as a technology build for the founder's father who is deaf. >> if i text him and he's at home, he doesn't know if his phone is not in his pocket. so i wanted to build something that would let his lights flash when he got a text message. >> reporter: spark is one of several companies looking to make your home more connected. a company called smart things let's users attach wireless sensor sensors around your
1:50 am
house that lets everything from your window to your refrigerator smart phone controlled. >> they're trying to allow a hub in your home, software that allows you to be aware of what's going on. so it will send notifications. hey, your dog just went outside. you left your door open. the lights are on. >> reporter: why now? is the technology smart enough now? >> the platforms have been built, so there's connectivity through your pocket, through i would i have, 3g, lte, but there's also connectivity at home. >> reporter: and companies are taking note. ge took the concept outside the home, experimenting with sensors, placing them on wind turbines to hospital patients to keep track of them in the building. >> you have this controller in your pocket that can enable you to do things that three, five, ten years ago were wildly impossible. >> lori siegel, cnn money, new york. william shatner is on tour with his one man show, he took a break too talk with don lemon.
1:51 am
he was, of course, captain kirk or the original "star trek." he talked to don about the director of the newest version of star trek, j.j. abrams. >> the way he has brought a major audience into the franchise is to make a ride. star trek becomes one of those rides with explosions, action, and the wonderful people they've got playing the roles. he has made star trek popular once again with a far larger audience. he seems to be doing the right thing. the star treks that we were in told a more personal story. told a story that had more soul to it, if you will, but the large screen encourages explosions and shoot 'em ups. >> i think what you guys did was more journey of the mind.
1:52 am
because you were on the precipi precipice, in the beginning, you had to stretch people's minds and imaginations about space. >> well, not only that, we had to do stories that caught your attention, because the special effects -- we had no budget for them. >> right, right, right. so, after "star trek" when "star trek" went off the air. you and your wife gloria schmidt up. you were so broke that you lived in a camper, hooked up to a pickup truck. when you remember that time of your life, what comes to mind? do you even think about that or do you try to put it out of your head? >> no. well, no, i think about it every so often in fear that that can happen with three kids. the nightmare that i see on news that you do, for example of people saying, i'm at the end of my unemployment insurance, i've got all these responsibilities, and i don't know what to do.
1:53 am
i hear that phrase and i don't know what to do echoing again and again from people all across our country. i said those very things living in a camper shell, doing summer stock and not knowing what to do next and having all the bills to pay. i think about that a lot. and so i identify so sympathetically and completely with the statements i hear the people make to you, don of, i don't know what to do next. their house is gone, the benefits are gone, what am i going to do, and i hear that echo in my mind. >> i don't know if you -- i remember you saying it, and leonard nimoy and george take, when you were doing "star trek"
1:54 am
you didn't realize it was going to have the impact it did. i say that to ask you this next question, maybe you don't realize it. what does it feel like to be a legend? and do you feel like a legend? >> no, i feel like i have to talk to you and tell people that they should go see the show, and i've got all kinds of things happening right now, and i'm anxious that they happen, and i'm anxious that they be successful and nothing has changed. i'm an actor who is vitally interested in what he's doing, and it can't end and i don't want it to end. and i'm running as fast as i can. every bit as much as i did when i was 21. the salient thing. the thing that i never forget is that every human being has their story, as we talked about earlier, has their need for respect. has their spirit, their soul, and you can never forget that no matter what the person's circumstances are.
1:55 am
they -- and again, a one-man show, i touch on this note, we're on that journey together. the journey through to death. and we don't know what's on the other side of that line of death, so we're locked in this embrace of the journey and the apprehension of what happens after we die. and it seems to suggest -- and i make this point in that show. that we should help each other to make that journey easier and more meaningful. love letters from world war ii discovered during a home renovation. they were hidden and apparently for a very good reason.
1:56 am
1:57 am
1:58 am
love letters sent to a world war ii veteran were found by a michigan man doing some home renovations. he found the letters hidden, stashed above a heating duct in the basement. the love letters from two women were sent to a war veteran who used to live there. here's what one letter said. >> sweetheart it was hard to see you go this morning, knowing it may be the last time i shall see you for a time. which we don't know how long it is going to be before we see each other again. when we saw this, we were hoping it was -- it would be a bag of bonds or money. but honestly, it was just really cool. >> the two women, violet and pat, wrote the letters to their soldier, turns out the world war ii veteran later married a woman
1:59 am
named sadi, maybe explaining why the letters were hidden in the first place. finally, a touching moment this past week. sandy hook elementary students went back to school, three weeks after a gunman burst into their connecticut school killing 20 classmates and six educators. their new school is in the nearby town of monroe, and i was there covering the story and talked with some of the parents and kids as the morning unfolded. by midmorning a mom told me the parents and kids were doing great. she said it was an amazing day, that the teachers greeted the children and the parents with great big hugs they took them to the classrooms. the kindergartners had circle time and talked about what they did on their christmas vacation. some of the fourth graders went on a scavenger hunt. they explored the new building. it has two floors, not just one. all of this was a way to establish some routine, to get the children back into an ordinary day was like before the tragedy happened. >> they took the bus, we had the normal routine of giving them breakfast and getting their pa